See You Again
by wheresthemuse
Summary: Chloe hears Beca's song on the radio and calls her after years of silence between the two after life came between them.
1. Chapter 1

Beca pulled the phone away from her ear to check the caller ID while dodging the crowd in downtown LA. Yup, she was losing her mind.

"Hey Beca." Two words and her world upended, her stomach getting that too full, almost queasy feeling at hearing two simple words spoken by someone she thought she would never hear from again. She stopped dead in the middle of the busy sidewalk, forcing the stream of people to part around her.

"H-hey Chloe." She went for nonchalant and stumbled messily at the opening. Words were never easy for her and this was no exception. Beca expected an awkward pause, because she was the definition of an awkward pause, but the brunette should have known better, Chloe was always able to dance to her rhythm, and this time was no different.

"I heard your song." Chloe's voice was quiet, older, huskier and god help her sexier than she remembered. She had given up the idea that her visceral reaction to that voice would ever lessen.

Beca almost responded 'Which one?' but realized that would be her pretending to not know what Chloe was calling about. She told herself she was past pretending. Instead she grunted noncommittally.

"It was about me, wasn't it? About us?" Beca barked a laugh devoid of humor.

"There is no us Chlo." Beca kicked herself at shortening Chloe's name, she didn't deserve the term of endearment. She was slightly satisfied hearing the sharp intake of breath on the other end that meant Chloe wasn't as calm and in control as she was pretending.

"There's always been an 'us' Beca." Chloe sounded tired and hurt and Beca grimaced, then squared her shoulders, she wasn't tripping down this rabbit-hole again.

"Yeah is that what you told whathisface? How is he by the way? Pretty sure I just saw you guys on the cover of People." Beca realized she was standing in the middle of a busy LA sidewalk waving her arms. People were starting to notice and despite her beanie pulled low with oversized sunglasses in place, she couldn't rely on going unrecognized for long.

She ducked into the parking garage weaving through the cars in search of her car while she listened to Chloe snark back, "How's the Disney Princess? Or did you go back to the Hustler girl?"

Beca sighed, "She was a model, Chloe." The grunt of disbelief almost made Beca smile despite her anger. The sound made a memory surface of Chloe making that same noise when a confused Beca tried to explain her uncharacteristic behavior around the Amazonian lead singer of Das Sound Machine. Chloe's voice broke her out of that pleasant memory

"Who 'modeled' for Hustler, I'm sure she had a winning 'personality' Beca." Beca pinched the bridge of her nose, huddled in the corner of the parking garage while a family of four walked past laughing and on their way no doubt to be tourists. Chloe continued, "And you don't read People, Beca."

"I grocery shop, Chloe." Beca huffed. It was true she did occasionally shop for groceries, or what passed for groceries for her. Macaroni and Cheese and cans of Redbull for the late night studio sessions were a staple of life.

The silence stretched out and Chloe broke first, "I left him." She left the statement hanging between them.

Beca paused, closing her eyes and dropping her head trying to tamp down on the possibilities her brain insisted on running through. Her and Chloe together making music, her and Chloe on the patio of her condo eating some godawful salad that Chloe would insist was good for her. The thing was they weren't possibilities so much as memories. Painful memories of what they had and what they had thrown away.

"Yeah, sorry." Beca's tone said that she was anything but sorry.

"No you're not." Chloe didn't sound judgmental, just tired.

"No, I'm not." Beca gave a half-smile and then looked around to see if anyone else was watching, but thankfully she was alone.

Chloe wasn't all soft and fluffy, that was something Beca had realized after their break-up. The woman had claws and they were out now, "So the Disney princess, how did she like the song?"

"Chloe." Beca drew out Chloe's name and cringed at her pleading tone wondering where it came from.

"Or did you tell her it was all about her?"

Beca looked around, wondering why she was even having this conversation. But Chloe always had a way of making her say more than she wanted to.

"She left me. Happy?" Beca had reached her car, a beat-up old Honda that her manager told her she could afford 50 of and would she please by a goddamn car more suited to being a rockstar?

"No Becs, I'm not happy. Are you happy?"

Beca switched the phone to her other ear as she struggled to get the door open. It was always stuck and she yanked hard grunting a bit as it finally gave with a groan of metal. She stopped for a moment leaning on the door and breathing out softly, unable to lie to this woman to save her life, "No Chloe, I'm not happy."

She heard movement on the other end of the line, a rustling and then a clinking of ice in a glass. "I want to be happy Beca."

Beca looked at the cement ceiling of the garage as if praying for strength, but truth was she had given up praying after her parents divorced and she had ceased believing in much after she walked out on Chloe after Tom went with her to the Oscars, Chloe telling a heartbroken Beca she had to keep up appearances.

"You're an Emmy award winning actress Chloe. What would America's Sweetheart have to be sad over?"

"You know why."

"Me?" Beca hooked a thumb to her chest even though Chloe couldn't see the action. "I'm just an emotionally stunted woman-child who hides behind my music, and wouldn't know happiness if it crawled up and bit me in the ass, remember?" Beca was breathing heavier now, throwing Chloe's words from their last argument back at her.

"I'm sorry I said that Beca, I was angry. You also know I was right." Chloe's voice held a hint of waver in it, like she was fighting back tears and Beca felt like an ass.

"Doesn't change anything Beale."

"What if we could?" Chloe's voice sounded small yet hopeful for the first time.

Beca sighed, "We'd still be us Chloe." Not willing to let Chloe worm her way back in Beca pushed back, "Besides you left me this time."

Chloe let a little heat show in her tone, "Maybe I just wanted to beat you to it for a change."

"Whatever you want to tell yourself, Beale." Beca was trying for angry, but it came off as resigned. She felt the weariness in her bones and the want for the woman on the other end of the call was still real and raw.

"I want to tell myself we still have a chance."

"I can't do this Chloe." Beca slid into the ancient car, pulling the creaky door shut and leaned her head on the steering wheel. "I can't."

"Beca, is it because of Kelly?" Beca sat up, Chloe had never called her girlfriend by her name, even at their most polite détente of trying to be friends again.

Beca didn't want to tell her that Kelly had left her when she heard her composing the song late one night in her home studio. She had packed her things that night and left not wanting to compete with a redheaded ghost.

Beca didn't tell her that her dreams always included Chloe. Until she didn't believe in dreams anymore.

Feeling safe behind the shield of her phone and forgetting why she ever pretended differently at one time, she opted for honesty. "It was never about Kelly. She left when she heard me composing the song."

"Beca." One word, so much said and unsaid with just one word. All the hurt, all the longing, the sleepless nights with her guitar and mixing board were rushing back at her.

If Beca was honest she owed much of her success to her crippling attachment to a certain blue-eyed muse who filled her with every emotion. Outside of her Beca thought she didn't feel much, but when it came to Chloe, her emotions were in Technicolor and Dolby Surround Sound.

The songs were all about Chloe – even the ones that weren't about relationships were still saturated with Chloe in some way, born of a memory or a look or a shared secret. It killed her to walk by the platinum records on her wall and know what they represented. The rare person that visited her condo always remarked how humble she was to have them tucked away in a guest room. Beca never corrected them.

Beca wasn't sure how long the silence stretched with just their breathing coming across the line.

"I wish…"

Beca didn't let Chloe finish. "Yeah well this isn't a Disney movie. Wishing won't change anything."

"Hear me out Beca." Now it was Chloe's turn to plead.

"I won't be your dirty little secret Beale." There was no venom in Beca's voice, just a mournful sadness.

"You're not my secret Beca, you're my happiness." Chloe paused while Beca breathed in trying to hold back a sob at finally hearing Chloe say that. "And I think I'm yours."


	2. Times Like These Pt 1

Beca wasn't sure how long the silence stretched with just their breathing coming across the line.

"I wish…"

Beca didn't let Chloe finish, unable to completely keep the edge from her voice, "Yeah well this isn't a Disney movie. Wishing won't change anything."

"Hear me out Beca." Now it was Chloe's turn to plead.

"I won't be your dirty little secret Beale." This time there was no venom in Beca's voice, just a mournful sadness.

"You're not my secret Beca, you're my happiness." Chloe paused while Beca breathed in trying to hold back a sob at finally hearing Chloe say that. "And I think I'm yours."

Beca slumped in her seat, cradling the phone to her ear, not trusting herself to respond. Chloe pressed on.

"I'm texting you an address."

"I know where you live, Chloe."

"I'm not there" Beca's eyebrow raised, Chloe loved her condo, the redhead had dragged her through antique shop after antique shop looking for eclectic additions. Beca remembered going along willingly, only grumbling for show. If Chloe wasn't staying at the condo, maybe the redhead really did leave Tom. But that didn't mean Beca was ready to occupy the same space as the redhead.

"Chlo – I"

"No Beca, don't say anything. Just come over. Let's talk." Chloe was pleading.

Beca sighed looking out the window of her car at the concrete walls surrounding her.

"I don't know if I'll survive another round of this."

"Beca, I don't think I'll survive without it." Chloe paused taking in a calming breath before risking everything, "I can't live without you in my life and not just on my radio." There it was said, it was out there, Chloe understanding that Beca couldn't be the vulnerable one now, not with everything that happened.

Beca had to take a moment, swallowing past the lump in her throat before choking out, "This isn't fair Chloe."

On the other end of the line Chloe smiled sadly, "Never said it was."

Beca leaned her head against the window, already knowing she was going to give in, "No promises, Beale."

Chloe knew it for the promise it was and her voice sounded more like the old, happy Chloe, "Thanks Beca."

They both stumbled awkwardly over the goodbye and Beca sat for a minute staring at the phone in her hand, so lost in thought that when it buzzed with the text notification she jumped a little. The address was in a nice section of town, at least.

Beca scrolled and found a name, grimacing as her thumb hit dial.

"Hey Becky, what's up?" She frowned at being called Becky. She knew he only used it when he wanted to piss her off.

"Hey Luke, I can't make it tonight. Something came up." Her statement was met with a lengthy silence. She waited, knowing that Luke would break before she did.

"Beca no, you can't do this." Luke only got her name right when he was upset with her. "We're meeting with the label Friday and our demos aren't done."

"I know Luke, I'll have something by then, I swear." Beca started the car, heading towards the exit.

"Beca the boys aren't gonna like this." Luke sighed, knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere arguing with her.

"I'll make it up to them."

"Bollocks."

"Throwing British words at me won't work either, mate." Beca stressed the word mate knowing it would get under Luke's skin.

"Piss off. What's so important anyway?"

Beca sighed, pulling out into the nightmare that was LA traffic. She didn't want to fight, she was just trying to take her mind off of where she was going and who she was going to see.

"Just something I have to do Luke." Beca mentally crossed her fingers hoping he'd buy it.

"Beca. Tell me it's not what I think it is. Or who, rather."

She remained silent, not really sure what she could say that wouldn't make her sound completely pathetic.

"You're pathetic." She should know by now that Luke could basically read her mind.

"Yeah, I am."

Luke sighed heavily on the other end, "Well maybe we'll get another single out of your train wreck of a love life."

Beca shrugged, not really able to argue the point. "I actually have some stuff Luke, I was going to bring it by tomorrow and get your take on it."

"Why does that actually worry me more than your love life?" She could hear the sound of a guitar tuning on the other end.

"It should, it's different. But we need a change. I know the label wants something like our last album, but you and I both know that's not the answer." The slim brunette held her breath, hoping he would agree.

The line was silent for a moment before Luke answered, sounding thoughtful, "Yeah, me and the boys were talking, maybe about just walking in and recording what we wanted. You know all of us, something less planned, more raw."

Beca felt a little thrill run through her at the thought of being able to just relax with her music again. She allowed some of that excitement to show in her tone, "Really?"

"Mike and Terry were saying they have some ideas they think you'll like." Luke paused then continued, "I know we put a lot of pressure on you last time to come through, but you know how important that album was."

Beca nodded even though he couldn't see her, "Yeah and that's kind of where the stuff I have for you is. Stripped down, show off the guys more than just you and me."

She could tell Luke was smiling now, "Too right, I'll let them know. Should I book studio time tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but not at the label. Let's go back to the one on Griffin."

Luke was definitely excited now, "Brilliant! The boys will love this."

"Alright, text me the details."

"Cheers Becky."

Now that Beca didn't have the distraction, she could feel herself growing more nervous by the minute. She tried to focus on running through the new songs she was working on for the band, but her mind kept crawling back to thoughts of Chloe. It had been over a year and a half since Chloe walked out on her and the hurt was still as raw as if it had happened last week. She really hoped she wasn't just setting herself up for another epic fight.

Her phone buzzed on her lap breaking her out of her headspace. She picked it up expecting to see the studio details from Luke. Instead it was Chloe.

The text was lacking Chloe's usual overuse of emojis but it was still quintessential Chloe.

 _Chloe [6:26] It'll be okay_

 _Chloe [6:26] Promise_

Beca allowed a rueful smile. Whatever their faults as a couple, Chloe definitely knew her better than anyone else.

After some debate Beca just typed back,

 _Beca: [6:28 PM] omw_

Chloe's text did the trick – Beca put her demos in and spent the rest of the ride listening to them again, looking for places she could tighten them up.

Forty-five minutes and a healthy dose of road rage later she pulled in to the driveway of an upscale townhouse in Silver Lake. Beca looked out of her crappy car window to double check the address. After confirming the addresshe waited for a minute trying to work up the courage to get out of her car. Knowing that Chloe was inside was causing her heat to trip hammer and her palms to sweat. Her phone buzzed in her lap making her jump in surprise. She thumbed the screen, opening it to see Chloe's text.

 _Chloe [7:12 PM] Move it Mitchell_

Smiling grimly Beca forced open the rusty door of the Honda, throwing her shoulder into the door to shut it with a creaky thump. She walked up to the door raising her hand to knock only to have the door swing open revealing a stunning redhead in black yoga pants and a bright blue tank top standing in the doorway.

Chloe looked at Beca, feeling her heart lurch at the sight of her standing on the porch. The brunette was still painfully pretty, all sharp angles and distinctive lines. Chloe had to resist reaching out to trace the other woman's chiseled jaw.

Beca fidgeted, shoving her hands into her jacket, looking away from those piercing blue eyes. After a moment she forced herself to look up at the woman in the doorway.

"Hey."


End file.
